Ann Marie Brown - Moon 101 Great Hikes San Francisco Bay Area

ANN MARIE BROWN

This book is divided into chapters based on regions that are within close reach of the city; an overview map of these regions precedes the table of contents. Each chapter begins with a region map that shows the locations and numbers of the trails listed in that chapter.

Each trail profile is also accompanied by a detailed trail map that shows the hike route.

Each profile includes a narrative description of the trails setting and terrain. This description also typically includes mile-by-mile hiking directions, as well as information about the trails highlights and unique attributes.

The mileage and elevation for each hike as measured with a Garmin GPSMAP 64st. The elevation gain for each hike is cumulative; all the bumps and hills that youll ascend throughout the hike are counted in the overall elevation gain.

In addition to the featured trail, each listing includes options on how to shorten or lengthen the hike, where to hike nearby, or how to extend the hike into a day trip or get away for the weekend.

Detailed driving directions are provided from the city center or from the intersection of major highways to the trailhead. GPS coordinates are included for the trailhead. When public transportation is available, instructions are noted after the directions.

The icons in this book are designed to provide at-a-glance information on special features for each trail.

	The trail offers an opportunity for wildlife watching.
	The trail features wildflower displays in spring.
	The trail travels to a waterfall.
	The trail visits a historic site.
	Dogs are allowed.
	The trail is appropriate for children.
	The trail is wheelchair accessible.
	The trailhead can be accessed via public transportation.

Each profile includes a difficulty rating. Definitions for ratings follow. Remember that the difficulty level for any trail can change due to weather or trail conditions, so always phone ahead to check the current state of any trail.

Easy: Easy hikes are 4 miles or less and with an elevation gain or loss of 500 feet.

Easy/Moderate: Easy/Moderate hikes are 46 miles long and with an elevation gain or loss of 5001,000 feet.

Moderate: Moderate hikes are 28 miles long and with an elevation gain or loss of 1,0001,500 feet.

Strenuous: Strenuous hikes are 610 miles long and with an elevation gain or loss of 1,0002,000 feet.

Butt-kicker: Butt-kicker hikes are 814 miles long with an elevation gain or loss of 2,000 feet or more.

Im a nature lover, a wildlife-watcher, a committed hiker, and a card-carrying member of the Sierra Club and Audubon Society. I run my lifes appointment calendar by the timing of the wildflower bloom, the flow of waterfalls, and the show of autumn colors. I spend my work days and play days doing basically the same thingexploring the natural world.

This being the case, it may seem odd that I chose to write a book about a large urban area packed with nearly seven million people. But the San Francisco Bay Area is the wildest metropolitan area in the United States, with precious swaths of open space surrounding and interspersed amid its urban and suburban core. Although grizzly bears no longer roam the Bay Area as they did 150 years ago, coyotes still gallop across the grasslands, herds of tule elk wander the coastal hills, badgers build their underground dens, and mountain lions and bobcats stalk their prey. Elephant seals still breed on the Bay Areas beaches, river otters ply the waterways, and peregrine falcons, American kestrels, and golden and bald eagles soar overhead.

In the course of hiking the 101 trails in this book, I saw all of these creatures and more.

If you hike much in the Bay Area, you will be awed by the beauty and grace of centuries-old virgin redwoods. Youll wonder at the sight of rare and precious wildflowers, some of which grow here and nowhere else in the world. Your ears will be filled with the sound of crashing surf against miles of jagged coastal bluffs. Youll gaze at waterfalls coursing down basalt cliffs, pouring over sandstone precipices, and even dashing to the sea. Youll stand on summits and look down thousands of feet to the valleys below. In autumn, youll watch black oaks and big-leaf maples turn bright gold, and in winter, youll see a dusting of snow fall on the Bay Areas high peaks and ridges.

Quite possibly, youll wind up spending some of the best days of your life on Bay Area trails. I know I have.

Speaking of hiking, take a look out the window. Chances are good that its a nice day for a walk. See you out there.

Ann Marie Brown

Cant decide where to hike this weekend? Ive grouped these unique Bay Area hikes into some of my favorite categories.

Lake Ilsanjo Loop, Trione-Annadel State Park, Napa and Sonoma,

Marsh and South Pasture Loop, Rush Ranch, Solano Land Trust, Napa and Sonoma,

Abbotts Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin,

Estero Trail to Sunset Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin,

Kent, Griffin, and Zumie Loop Trails,